


Letters and Stumbling

by AppleEye



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, awkward!arthur, clumsy!arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 11:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2227332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleEye/pseuds/AppleEye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Pendragon has had feelings for Merlin Emrys for a while now, and decided it was about time to show it.<br/>If only they weren't both so awkward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters and Stumbling

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I haven't used this account in a while and felt like writing a fic again. Might make it a regular thing, if I have the motivation.
> 
> I just thought we get awkward Merlin a lot, but awkward/clumsy Arthur isn't used as much.

It took a while, longer than Arthur had wanted, but he eventually made it to the familiar row of lockers. This row didn’t have his own there, but one that was very important in this moment. Well, not exactly the moment. The day. Or week. Maybe even his life, who knew?  
Arthur had seen this romantic stuff in the movies; stuffing love letters through the slits in the locker door for the admired to discover later in the day. He figured it was his best attempt at asking Merlin out on a date. The cute, stumbling Merlin.   
They’d been friends for years now, and Arthur had slowly developed a crush on the other boy. Of course, it was expected. They spent most of every day together at school, then afterwards one would go round the other’s house for video games, or eating, or maybe just talking. (Their parents were certain the young boys were studying).  
Anyway, Arthur had spent last night writing this letter. Or love note. Whatever you decided to call it. Now that he held it in his hands, he noticed that his fingers were trembling; the envelope – with “Merlin” written on in Arthur’s neatest handwriting – was shaking slightly. But, Arthur decided he had waited long enough to tell Merlin.  
Negative thoughts pushed to the back of his mind, Arthur lived the envelope carefully and gently tried to push it through the slits.  
Crap.  
It didn’t fit.  
It was too wide both ways to fit into the locker. But Arthur wouldn’t give in this easily, he desperately tried to shove the letter through. Nope. The letter did not want to easily slide in as Arthur had imagined the moment, leaving him to walk away quickly. Instead, he stood there, nervously looking from the letter, to the locker, then back.  
He needed a new plan, and fast. Before Merlin stopped moping around in the hallway and returned to his locker.  
“Arthur?” Came a small, but clear, voice behind him. Arthur’s heart dropped and his skin went cold.  
He turned slowly, facing Merlin. When the other boy’s gaze fell upon the envelope that Arthur clutched tightly, his eyes widened slightly.  
‘New plan time’ Arthur thought to himself, trying to be confident.  
“Is that-“ Merlin began, but didn’t get to finish as Arthur, due to a random burst of nerves, threw the envelope at Merlin’s face and sprinted down the hallway.   
He wasn’t sure how he remembered what class he had to get to next, but let out a long breath when he arrived and sat down in his seat.  
Of course, he couldn’t concentrate. Merlin would have opened the envelope, took one look at it and laughed. Although, Merlin had never been the type to taunt, Arthur was just thinking of the worst possible situations all at once.  
Maybe he could move. Just short notice. Surely his father had enough money to get Arthur a ticket to France. Or Portugal. Or Mexico. Nah, that was a cliché plan ending. Everyone flees to Mexico.  
The class had to end at some point. Arthur swung his bag onto his back and walked out of the room, deciding to take his time. If by some miracle, Merlin was waiting for him, then maybe he would give up and thought Arthur had already left.  
Arthur thought that, if Merlin was waiting for him, it would be to toss the now screwed-up letter back in Arthur’s face. And laugh at him. Point and laugh.  
Merlin was waiting by the school gates, and quickly spotted Arthur in the crowd of students bustling to get home. Arthur’s heart began to beat so hard, he felt it in his throat. Merlin ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up in odd directions yet still look so perfect, framing his face.   
“Hey.” Merlin spoke kindly, Arthur had always liked that about him.  
“Hey.” Came Arthur’s simple response. They were both quiet after that, barely moving, and gazes not meeting. Merlin broke this by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a carefully folded up piece of paper and shoving it into Arthur’s hand.  
Arthur stared dumbly at the paper resting in his palm for a few moments, until Merlin coughed softly and spoke. “Read it. It’s a reply.”  
So, he did as instructed and unfolded the note. It was obvious that Merlin had ripped the page out of one of his school books, although it appeared he’d tried to be extremely careful with making it look neat.  
It read:  
“Arthur,  
Thanks for your letter.  
God, that sounded too formal. But, yeah, I like your hair. And your smile with crooked teeth. And the way you laugh with you whole body, throwing your head back.   
You kind of remind me of the sun. In a pretty way, not a ‘you burn my retinas’ way.  
Okay this was really bad. You’re cute.  
-Merlin  
P.S Sorry.”  
The slight hint of pink was appearing slowly on Arthur’s cheeks, and he smiled one of those crooked teeth smiles that Merlin said he liked. When he looked up, Merlin was smiling too. A shy, nervous smile, and Arthur felt his stomach do a flip.  
“Wow.” Chuckled Arthur, rolling his lips to try and conceal his grin.  
“Yeah.”  
“Are we going to use proper sentences now?” Arthur smirked and tilted his head, enjoying the sound of Merlin’s laugh that followed Arthur’s question.  
“If you’d like.”   
Trying to be a romantic, Arthur leaned in to kiss Merlin on the cheek, but ended up nearly falling onto the other boy. He grabbed Merlin’s shoulder’s tightly to keep himself up.  
“Shit, sorry.”  
They decided to walk home, instead of hanging around the school gates much longer. And Arthur was a true gentleman, walking Merlin to his door.  
“So, I guess I should be polite about this.” Arthur started, and Merlin watched, leaning against the door with a playful smile. “Would you, Merlin Emrys, like to be my um, boyfriend, thing?”  
“Boyfriend…thing?” Merlin let out a soft snicker and nudged Arthur with his arm.   
“You know what I mean.”  
Pursing his lips together, Merlin nodded and looked up at Arthur through his eyelashes. As much as Arthur wanted to be a true gentleman and wait for the first date, Arthur wanted to kiss Merlin. He figured now that they were seventeen, it wouldn’t matter.  
So he did. He cupped Merlin’s cheek, and began to lean in.  
Of course, they bumped noses first, causing the two of them to laugh. If only Arthur knew how to do this without messing up.   
When their lips did meet, and eyelids fell shut, it was bliss. Merlin’s lips were plump against Arthur’s, and his hands tentatively slid up to rest on Arthur’s waist. And it was perfect. Despite the bumping, and the laughing, it was their own little version of perfect.  
They stayed close even when their kiss broke, foreheads resting and gazing at each other.  
Eventually, Merlin had to actually go into his house, so he turned and unlocked the door. Arthur said his goodbyes and began to walk down the garden path, and Merlin called over his shoulder:   
“I eagerly await you next letter.”


End file.
